It may feel like ancient history, but there was actually a time when the French Open wasn't dominated by one man.
Rafael Nadal has spent the past 15 years setting the sort of records that, realistically, will never be broken: 12 titles and a 93-2 win-loss record, so far, are not the sort of returns that are likely to be matched.
Nadal's French Open achievements - and indeed the major hauls of his fellow Big Three rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic - have managed to leave past champions in the shade somewhat.
But in the years before the Spaniard muscled and top-spinned his way to Roland Garros greatness, a different kind of champion etched his name into the French Open history books.
While Nadal is all brooding intensity and fidgety routines, Gustavo Kuerten - with his curly shoulder-length hair, deceptively languid playing style that would not look out of place on Copacabana beach, and a smile that could light up the Paris skyline - was quite the opposite.
Yet, underneath the Brazilian's laidback persona was a fearless champion who quickly won the hearts of tennis fans, thanks in no small part to his quite unexpected triumph at the 1997 French Open.
In such ordinary form was the 20-year-old Kuerten leading up to Roland Garros that year, he wasn't even sure if he was going to participate.
"I'd play one great game and then the next I couldn't put a ball in the court," Kuerten said in a documentary feature for Roland Garros on his 1997 victory. "As the weeks went by, my confidence just evaporated."
In a last ditch effort the week before Paris, he returned to Brazil and played in a Challenger Series event - the level below the ATP Tour. He won the tournament and headed back to Europe with renewed optimism. "It gave me the drive, strength, and energy you need not just to compete but to be a great champion," he said.
What transpired over the subsequent two weeks in Paris would live long in the memory and cement Kuerten as one of the French Open's most beloved champions.
While most of the field went for the tucked-in white t-shirt and shorts look, perhaps with a navy blue trim for some variation, Kuerten was decked out head to toe in yellow and blue - from his rotation of colourful bandanas and dual-coloured Diodora T-shirt with white stripes, down to his yellow socks and blue trainers.
Kuerten not only came out on top in the fashion stakes but on the court, too, making his mark on the tournament with his attacking baseline play, chips and charges, gliding court coverage, and snappy, powerful first serve.
En route to the final, the world No 66, competing in just his third Grand Slam, took out two former winners - Thomas Muster and defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov - and a future finalist in Andriy Medvedev. He was pushed to five sets in all three matches in succession. The skinny kid from Brazil not only had style but steel, too.
Awaiting in the final was Sergi Bruguera, another former champion who had won Roland Garros back-to-back, in 1993 and 1994. If nerves were supposed to play a determining factor for a novice like Kuerten, someone forgot to tell him: he went out and decimated the Spaniard, cruising to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory.
In clinching the 1997 title, Kuerten tied the record for winning a Grand Slam title in the least amount of attempts; he is the only player to defeat the winners of the four previous French Opens in the same tournament; and is the third-lowest ranked player to win a major men's singles title. Kuerten is also the only player to win a Challenger event and a Grand Slam in consecutive weeks. Nadal did leave a few French Open records for others, after all.
Kuerten would be crowned the French Open champion twice more, in 2000 and 2001, but by that stage the Brazilian was one of the ATP Tour's leading players and was top seed for his hat-trick triumph.
Yet, even as Kuerten evolved and matured as a player, the same loveable traits endured throughout his career: the same ear-to-ear smile, the same bushy hair, the same breezy and entertaining playing style - even if the clothes became less garish.
While unquestionably a clay court specialist, Kuerten achieved a degree of success elsewhere, winning the Cincinnati Masters and Tour Finals and reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon and the US Open. A winner of 20 titles, 14 came on clay and six on hard courts.
Injuries would eventually take their toll on Kuerten, in particular a troublesome hip, and he decided to hang up his racket after one more outing at his most successful tournament, in 2008. Wearing his famous yellow and blue from 1997, Kuerten's final match was a first round defeat to Paul-Henri Mathieu. The 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 outcome, coincidentally, was the exact result of his title win over Bruguera 11 years earlier.
As well as winning a legion of fans for his tennis exploits, Kuerten was also extremely popular off the court. Part of a tight-knit family, his father died of a heart attack when he was a young boy, which brought Kuerten and his brothers and mother even closer. His youngest brother, Guilherme, had cerebral palsy and Kuerten would generously donate his prize money to causes for people with similar disabilities. He also gave Guilherme all of his trophies as souvenirs.
He was even popular with the press, three times winning the Prix Orange Roland Garros Award for sportsmanship, awarded by tennis journalists, and was given the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2003.
Unsurprisingly, Kuerten was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012.
So, while the French Open will likely never have another champion like Rafael Nadal, likewise there will never be another Gustavo Kuerten.
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
Happiest period in her life: The beginning of her 30s
Favourite movie: "I have two. The Pursuit of Happiness and Homeless to Harvard"
Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
Slogan: The queen of peace, love and positive energy
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
